On The Table

Hi church,

We have a trio of events on the table this week, spanning the gamut from high-spirited revival to nuts-and-bolts practicality to prayerful contemplation. It's all right here, bothers and sisters, so first, pack up the babies and grab the old ladies, 'cause it's:

The Church Basement Roadshow: A Rollin' Gospel Revival, rolling into town Thursday night starting at 7pm sharp. The group will be performing at the Kay Spiritual Life Center on the campus of American University (on the east side of campus off of Massachusetts Avenue and Nebraska Avenue). Just look for the round building with the gold flame coming out the top. Free parking is available in the Nebraska Avenue lot of AU: drive past the AU and turn onto New Mexico Avenue, left into the lot, and then drive to the far end of the lot to be nearest the Kay Center. (Or you can take the metro to Tenleytown and ride the AU shuttle over to campus.)

Then, Friday evening we'll have the fourth in our currently-planned cycle of four congregational meetings. This one's about every community's favorite subject: church finances! But if that's not enough to lure you, then you need to know that our hosts for the evening will be the Amazing Maisels: Kate, Matt, Lizzy, and introducing the newest, adorablest Maisel: Madeline Claire (but you may call her Maddie)!

And finally, Sunday morning, please join us as we continue our series of perspectives on the Psalms with a look at the Daily Office (aka Canonical Hours, Divine Hours, Divine Office, or Liturgy of the Hours), an ancient method of praying with the Psalms that goes back at least to St. Benedict and the origins of Christian monasticism. Come help us explore how "communication with God takes place in the meditative silence and listening which surrounds the words" of the Psalms, and let's wonder together how this kind of prayer can become a connection to God in our everyday lives - the "daily office" (so to speak) of our workplace, or our home, classroom, etc.

And that's all the news for now. Hope you get the chance to join us in hootin'/hollerin'/praisin', number-crunchin' & baby-adorin', and/or contemplatin' this week!

Peace,
Mike Croghan

Labels: congregational meeting, Maisel, Psalms, Road Show

This Friday night, we'll be convening our second of three discernment meetings. Last week, we had a great and encouraging conversation about integrating kids into our gatherings. Next Friday, we'll look at our community budget (i.e., giving and spending). And right in between, we'll be talking about how we approach and accomplish our weekly times of worship - this Friday night at 7pm at Martha and Jay's place (at 10780 Crest Street, Fairfax 22030). If you care about CT and can make it, please join us for any or all of these times of discernment in community (or, if you can't make it, please let us know your thoughts on these topics).

On Saturday evening, we'll be getting together for a very relational Service Worship project. At last month's S-W project, we were able to do some freezer cooking for Neishia and her boys (Xander and Nicholas) who lost their husband and dad in May. Our very own Jackie has been talking with Neishia in the last month or so to try to help her make some major decisions about childcare, work, and the possibility of moving to Florida to be nearer to her mother. After meeting with Jackie on Monday, Neishia was able to establish that she'd really like to stay in the area and keep life as consistent for the boys as possible right now. So we'd really love for her to meet all of us and have the opportunity to connect with people in the area, as she does not have other family here and seems to be longing for community.

In order to have some relaxed time with Neishia and her boys, Mike and Tina have kindly offered to host us at their house (13337 Feldman Place, Herndon, VA) where we'll have a good old fashioned summer BBQ and time to get to know Neishia and the boys. The idea is to give Neishia a bit of adult contact and at the same time give the boys a night out. The boys have been asking to go see the movie, Space Chimps, (which is playing at Worldgate Theatre, around the corner from Mike and Tina's house, at 7:10 pm). So we'll gather for dinner at 5:30 and then the boys (ages 6 and 8) and some other brave volunteers will peel off to go to the movie.

Please let Jackie know if you are planning to come so that she will know how much hamburger and hot dogs to get, and please bring a side and/or drink of your choosing with you as well. (If you don't have Jackie's contact info, give us a shout and we'll hook you up.)

Down the Road:
Next Sunday, August 3, Mighty Mike Croghan will be looking at an ancient use of the Psalms in Christian spirituality: The Daily Office, aka the Liturgy of the Hours, is a method of praying with the Psalms that goes back at least to St. Benedict and the beginnings of Christian monasticism.

And after that, on August 10, The Amazin' Amy Moffitt will be putting the Psalms back to music!

Hope to see you this weekend,
Mike Stavlund

P. S. Still rollin', right around the bend: Thursday night!

Labels: congregational meeting, Psalms, service-worship

Hi church,

Wow - lots to report this week! So I'll try to be brief. (Stop snickering. I am capable of brevity. With God's help.)

First: this Thursday night, we have two (2) awesome options for song and fellowship! First, it's Karaoke night with homeless guests and volunteers of all ages at The Lamb Center (6:30 to 8pm)! Come out for an evening of fun, pizza, mutual blessing, and song.

For song of a more rarefied caliber (but sacrificing the chance to rub elbows with our Lamb Center friends), the other option for Thursday evening is to join the awesome Amy and the singular Cindi for their final scheduled gig performing their own original music at Bangkok Blues in Falls Church. They're on from 7 to 7:30, but we should plan to stay for yummy Thai food and a variety of great acts, all part of the Songwriters' Association of Washington.

Moving on to Friday, we'll be gathering at Tina's and my place (13337 Feldman Place, Herndon, VA) at 7pm for the first of three follow-up meetings to our congregational meeting this past Friday evening. That gathering was vibrant with the conversation of a deckful of engaged and jovial Commoners sharing hearts, minds, and cold beverages - and we identified three major, interconnected areas in the life of our community where we are clearly sensing that some change is necessary:

1) How we integrate our kids into our community,
2) How we approach and accomplish Sunday morning worship, and
3) How we approach our community budget (i.e., giving and spending).

So we agreed to have, at least initially, three follow-up meetings on Friday evenings to continue conversation and discernment on these three topics. This coming Friday (the 18th): Kids. The Friday after that (the 25th): Sunday mornings. The Friday after that (the 1st): Money. If you care about CT and can make it, please join us for any or all of these times of discernment in community. This week's meeting at our place might be held down by the playground - an appropriate location for discernment about (and with) the littlest Commoners.

Then on Saturday, there's a good-looking event on Jubilee Economics coming to the Servant Leadership School of Church of the Saviour. A few CT folks are going, and several of us will be talking about our relational redistribution network (The GNU Team) in the afternoon there. Come on out, if you're interested and available.

Also on Saturday (afternoon/evening), at the Tennysons have invited us over for beer and barbecue! (And also to help move Ken's siblings' stuff from their place into a U-Haul.)

Last, but not least, please join us on Sunday at 10am at Jammin' Java, when we'll be continuing our Summer Psalms series. Our very own ErinPoetChica will lead us as we look at and experience that elusive and evocative form of discourse known as poetry - a form that encompasses every Psalm in the Bible, not to mention the Song of Songs, the works of T.S. Eliot, and those of the Bobs: Dylan and Marley.

And that's it! If you're at a loss for something to do this week, don't blame us. :-)

Peace,
Mike Croghan

P. S. Still rollin', July 31.

Labels: Amy, jubilee, karaoke, lamb center, poetry, Psalms, Tennysons

Dear Church:

This Friday night we'll be gathering at the Doans' place for a congregational meeting-- a chance to stoke our collective imagination about our hopes and dreams for Common Table, and to begin to think about how we can work together to bring these visions to fruition. We'll be out on the (new!) deck from 7 to 9:30. Anyone who cares about Common Table is welcome at the table!

Then on Sunday at 10am at Jammin' Java, we'll be continuing our Summer Psalm series with a look a Psalm 40 and Psalm 130, as we take some time (and some more time ;-) to consider the idea of 'waiting'. None of us much like it, but all of us need to do it, all the time and for all kinds of outcomes (or things that might never come). Why is it such an intractable part of life, and how can we do it more peacefully and profitably? What do we learn about God in this process? What do the Psalms tell us about waiting?

Also, there's a good-looking event on Jubilee Economics coming to the Servant Leadership School of Church of the Saviour. A few CT folks are going, and several of us will be talking about our relational redistribution network (The GNU Team) in the afternoon there. Come on out, if you're interested and available.

Hope to see you soon,
Mike Stavlund

PS. It's rollin' through our town, July 31.

Labels: congregational meeting, jubilee, Psalms

With a big holiday weekend upon us, we're launching into the Sundays of Summer with a look at the Psalms. The series be several weeks of low-key, laid-back, participatory worship, and it is meant to be modular, such that the enjoyable and unavoidable absences of the season won't leave anyone feeling left out. This Sunday, we'll start with Psalm 1, which is a kind of preface to the Psalms as a whole, and we'll be inviting the participation of everyone, both for this week and the whole series. Come with any ideas or inspirations or instruments you've got, and let's see how we can immerse ourselves in God's wisdom and beauty, and how we can pursue the 'happy' life that God offers.

Hope to see you on Sunday at 10, at Jammin' Java.

Mike Stavlund